More than $40,000 has been raised for three sisters left orphaned in a horror fire which engulfed the flat and restaurant their parents managed out of Waimate.
The blaze claimed the lives of their mother, father and brother and Tulsi Kafle, 24, and her sisters Manisha, 17, and Matamata, 11, are now in the care of an uncle in Christchurch.
Locals are rallying behind the orphans with offers of blanket and supplies, and a mayoral fund set up to support them has already reached $32,938. A Givealittle page has also reached $8105.
Waimate Mayor Craig Rowley says a trust will be set up to make sure the money is managed responsibly.
"It's been coming in from all over the country, and as well as cash we're also getting a lot of offers which we're collating," he says.
"There's lots of offers for all sorts of things from bedding, to computers, to care packages, to food, and all sorts of things. Obviously these girls have a long way to go yet and they're going to need a fair bit of support in the coming years."
The account will remain open for another week and bank transfers can be directed to the ANZ account NZ account 01-0893-0081636-00.
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